​Warnings by biologists that Staten Island’s forests are facing a severe threat from over-browsing and invasive species have prompted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Borough President James Oddo to partner with the College of Staten Island, the Greenbelt Conservancy and the Protectors of Pine Oak Woods to present a Forest Ecology Forum on Tuesday, November 19th, 2019. The free forum, which is open to the public, will take place at The Center for the Arts at the College of Staten Island beginning at 7pm.
 
The State DEC has documented severe damage on Staten Island’s state-owned parks and natural areas from over-browsing to the point where few new trees are surviving past the seedling stage. With fears that Staten Island’s vaunted woodlands could be experiencing its greatest threat, Borough President Oddo is encouraging Staten Islanders to attend this educational forum.
 
Dr. William McShea, Research Ecologist from the Smithsonian Institute’s Conservation Ecology Center, will be a guest speaker at the forum, along with Ken Scarlatelli, NYS DEC Regional Natural Resources Supervisor, and Dr. Susan Elbin, NYC Audubon Director of Conservation and Science. A panel discussion will follow led by the College of Staten Island’s biology and environmental science departments.
 
In presenting evidence of the damage to our forests, the goals of the forum include: raising public awareness about threats to the health and survival of forests and native wildlife; learning from leading ecologists about the cause of decline in forest health; exploring a range of remedies and how individuals and groups can help develop and implement them; and engaging Staten Island residents who care about forests and will be active voices in future management decisions.

​On Wednesday, October 2nd, Borough President James S. Oddo joined with Dan Messina, President and CEO of Richmond University Medical Center, and Joe Verhey, Executive Director of the Broadway YMCA, at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church to announce Healthy Weight Your Child (HWYC), a new pilot program beginning today that will address childhood obesity on Staten Island.
 
The YMCA of the United States awarded only twenty grants to different YMCAs nationwide to implement the HWYC program. HWYC is a holistic evidence-based lifestyle-change intervention that addresses childhood obesity by empowering children and their caregivers/families through education, healthy eating, physical activity and group support.
 
According to the NYC Department of Education, 19.2% of Staten Island public school children in grades K – 8th are clinically obese. According to the Staten Island Child Wellness Initiative, 38.9% of K – 8 students across Staten Island fit the definition of being overweight or clinically obese.
 
“I want to thank our good friends and RUMC, as well as our good friends at the YMCA for allowing us to be a part of this program. When we got to Borough Hall in 2014, one of the fundamental changes we made was to put an emphasis on education and on health and wellness,” noted Borough President Oddo. “I’m so appreciative of what you all do every day, to be so passionate about healthy food and to take the platform you have to talk about the need to educate and inspire. Our audience is those who want to be inspired and those who want to know how to live a healthier life. This is going to help families on Staten Island, and this is a good thing.”
 
This pilot program is a partnership between RUMC and the Broadway YMCA facilitated by the Borough President’s Office. It consists of 25 sessions over 15 weeks that will take place at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church. Studies have shown that this program is cost-efficient and effective in reducing a child's body mass index and waist circumference, reducing sedentary behaviors, increasing physical activity and improving self-esteem.
 
“The Broadway YMCA is proud to partner with the Office of the Staten Island Borough President, RUMC and St. Mary’s Church to implement this program,” said Joe Verhey, Executive Director of the Staten Island Broadway YMCA. “Our mission is to empower youth, improve health and strengthen community, so we are thrilled to be involved in yet another program that supports families and young people in our community as they improve their health and create better habits for life.”
 
RUMC identified patients aged 7-13 years old with a 95% BMI in the clinical practice who qualified and were offered a spot in the HWYC program. One caregiver from each family will also be required to participate in these sessions. Physicians will continue to stay connected during the program and regularly perform comprehensive tests on the enrolled children, such as BMI, blood pressure, and the presence of lipids. At the same time, they will conduct a mental health assessment at the beginning and conclusion of the successful completion of the program.
 
“The number of children across Staten Island considered to be obese continues to grow at an alarming rate,” Richmond University Medical Center President and CEO, Daniel J. Messina, PhD, FACHE, said. “No matter how young a child is, obesity can cause a number of chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and liver damage. Obesity can also affect a child’s self-esteem, causing anxiety and depression. We are proud to stand with Borough President James Oddo and the YMCA as partners in the fight against childhood obesity and the encouragement of healthy lifestyles for not just the children of Staten Island, but entire families as well.”
 
While Borough President Oddo’s Director of Health and Wellness, Dr. Ginny Mantello, was working with the Broadway YMCA to identify funding sources that would help link clinical to community interventions, one of the YMCAs awarded a grants dropped out of the program. This gave an opportunity for the opportunity for the Broadway YMCA.  However, they first needed to identify a strong clinical partner. Dr. Mantello was able to identify the Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) Pediatric Clinic, which had high obesity rates. With the backing of Borough Hall, Dr. Mantello connected these two strong partners, and was able to solidify the application of the Broadway YMCA for the HWYC program.

Borough President James Oddo is pleased to announce that he will be sponsoring another round of FREE health screenings for Staten Islanders this fall.

“I am grateful to have the ability to offer Staten Islanders these health screenings,” said Borough President Oddo. “I understand the importance of engaging in preventative measures and taking charge of your health, which is why I encourage all Staten Islanders to take advantage of these free screenings.”

On Thursday, October 10th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, Project Renewal will be giving Breast Cancer Screenings at the Forest Avenue Shoppers Town (1553 Forest Avenue). An appointment must be made to get screened. To make an appointment, call Project Renewal at (800) 564-6868.

The screenings will be available to eligible women ages 40 and older who have not had a mammogram in the past year. All insurance plans will be accepted, and co-pays and deductibles will be waived. The mammograms will be free to uninsured women.

On Wednesday, November 6th from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, Heart Scan Services will be giving Thyroid Screenings at Staten Island Borough Hall in Conference Room 125. An appointment must be made to be screened. Contact Irene Maiello at 718-816-2239 to reserve your appointment or click here. 

The rate of diagnosis of thyroid cancer has increased in recent years due to improvements to technology. In many cases, physicians cannot feel a nodule, but cancer can be detected through ultrasound screenings. The survival rate of thyroid cancer is very high when found in early stages.

On Thursday, November 7th from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm a nurse from NYC Health and Hospitals will be giving out Flu Shots at Staten Island Borough Hall in Conference Room 125. No appointment is necessary to receive a flu shot. Those presenting for a flu shot need to sign a consent form and show photo ID.

Seasonal influenza, commonly called “flu,” is a contagious illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the respiratory tract (the nose, throat, and lungs) and can cause severe illness and life-threatening complications. Those at high risk for serious flu complications include pregnant women, children under five years of age, adults over 65, nursing home residents and people with other serious health conditions.
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Some of the complications caused by flu include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. Children may get sinus problems and ear infections. The flu can cause mild to severe illness for days, and in some cases can lead to more serious health problems and even death. It is estimated that every year in the United States, about 5% to 20% of the population gets flu, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related complications. Each year, more than 2,000 New Yorkers die from flu-related illness.

Borough President James Oddo is pleased to announce that Child Mind Institute (CMI) – the children’s mental health facility which launched a groundbreaking research program on Staten Island called the Healthy Brain Network (HBN) back in 2015 – has obtained the financing necessary to maintain a presence on Staten Island thanks to funding provided by the de Blasio Administration.

This program collects information on how children think, feel, and learn, and also collects data from many sources (including, but not limited to, neuropsychological testing, IQ testing, EEGs and functional MRI scans) in order to create the largest biorepository of information on children's mental health. The goal is to identify new ways to diagnose and treat mental health disorders in children and adolescents, using a biological approach.

CMI/HBN on Staten Island was only funded for a five year period. Without further funding, its doors would have closed on Staten Island as originally planned, and they would have moved to their Harlem location, in order to focus on recruiting children and families from other boroughs. Staten Island was in danger of losing a unique and valuable resource that provides free, comprehensive mental health screenings and evaluations for our community. At the request of Borough President Oddo to Mayor de Blasio, City Hall agreed to fund the Child Mind Institute in order for them to continue to operate on Staten Island.

Borough President Oddo is also pleased to announce his office has been working closely with top administrators and the Department of Pediatrics at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) to enable the co-location of CMI/HBN at their outpatient pediatric ambulatory center.

“As you can imagine, had we lost these valuable services it would have left a huge gap in our community, since it is highly unlikely that many – or any – of our families would have traveled to Harlem for twelve hours of screening. The methods we used to obtain this funding from City Hall were extensive and varied, and in the end the Mayor came through,” said Borough President James Oddo. “Mental health and learning disorders are real, common and treatable, but the majority of children don’t get the care they need. The number of children screened through the CMI/HBN represents not just the children who received needed evaluations, but also their families who were searching for answers. Far too many children and adolescents simply don’t get the treatment they need, which is why we did whatever it took in order to help obtain funding to continue their important work right here on Staten Island.

“Reading Dr. Warren Farrell’s book ‘The Boy Crisis’ reaffirmed our belief in the importance of fighting for these resources and strengthened our resolve to not allow this critical work to come to an end. Councilman Joe Borelli, an early supporter of our Boy Crisis work, stepped up to be the City Council sponsor for this money in the recently adopted city budget. Thanks must also go to Emma Wolfe, Chief of Staff to the Mayor, without whose behind the scenes work and support this would not have happened.”

“In New York City, we recognize that there is no health without mental health. Failing to invest in diagnosis and treatment for kids means missed opportunities to improve people’s lives early on. I applaud Borough President Oddo’s commitment to the mental health of Staten Islanders and am glad to know kids and their families will continue having a much-needed resource to get the screenings and help they need,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“I’m so glad we were able to ensure that the Child Mind Institute remains on Staten Island. The free screenings provided by this program have been positively affecting the lives of thousands of children and their parents over the last 5 years. Too often, we have to travel and endure long commutes with our children because of a lack of available local resources,” said City Councilmember Joe Borelli, “the funding BP Oddo and I were able to secure will keep this resource right here and available to our community.”

In just under five years on Staten Island, the CMI/HBN has provided FREE mental health and learning evaluations as well as language screens to over 2,000 children ages 5-21 on Staten Island. Of those children, 48% children enrolled in the HBN were diagnosed for the first time during their participation. All families who enrolled in this study were given comprehensive feedback reports and a one-on-one session to discuss their child's results with the licensed clinician who conducted the evaluation.
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The work of the CMI on Staten Island doesn’t end with the HBN. When our office asked the CMI to help identify other ways to integrate mental health care into primary care, the CMI launched a unique pilot providing pediatricians in our borough with an easy to use iPad screening tool for use during well visits. The tool allows pediatricians to easily screen their patients for behavioral, emotional, and other complex mental health issues that require attention and is currently offered in both English and Spanish. Over 2,000 parents and children have completed this screening tool thus far with 11.8% of patients meeting levels of clinical concern for emotional problems, 8.9% for ADHD, and 6.9% for eating disorders. A staggering 4.8% reported suicidal ideation, and 11.9% reported being the victim of bullying.

​Borough President James Oddo sponsored a Lyme Disease Awareness Forum on Monday, June 17th. This free event took place at 7pm at Wagner College (1 Campus Road) in a Spiro Hall lecture room. Over 150 Staten Islanders came out to learn how to protect themselves and their loved ones from ticks and Lyme disease. After having to reschedule in May due to inclement weather, we were extremely pleased to hold a standing room only event.
 
“Our quest to mitigate the growing number of Staten Islanders suffering from Lyme disease is being fought on many fronts, and educating the public about the disease and how it is spread is a vital step. We will continue to raise awareness on this topic because it is real and it is affecting Staten Islanders,” said Borough President Oddo.
 
At the forum, researchers from NYC DOHMH presented an update on their surveillance measures with statistical updates on the incidence of Lyme disease cases in New York City and on Staten Island as well as information on the black-legged ticks that are vectors for the disease. Borough President Oddo was pleased to hear their tick surveillance has been increased from 14 to 24 sites in parks across our borough and that they will be implementing Met52 in their tick control measures, a fungus based approach that kills ticks without hurting any other invertebrates.
 
Maria Diuk-Wasser, Associate Professor and Researcher at Columbia University, presented information on how exactly ticks get around and where people are exposed to ticks. Can you guess how ticks ‘move’ around parks in New York City? That’s right – deer. Deer are where ticks meet and reproduce. She stressed that connectivity is key, as only parks close to other parks in NYC have ticks. Parks surrounded by vegetation and are more connected to others by habitat corridors have more ticks infected with the Lyme bacteria. We continue fight for ways to control the deer population to also reduce the tick numbers and Lyme cases on Staten Island.
 
Attendees also heard from Dr. Christopher J. Pappas, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Manhattanville College, who talked about what attracts the different types of ticks we have on Staten Island, how to avoid them and prevent tick bites, as well as do’s and don’ts on tick removal. Among many tips, one that stuck out: make sure to put clothes in the dryer, not the washer to kill ticks. Drying ticks out kills the ticks.

Dr. Ernest Visconti, pediatric infectious disease specialist, moderated a question and answer period with the audience following the pretensions.

Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School tabled at the event showing their school projects to educate Staten Islanders on how to protect themselves from ticks and Lyme disease. 
 
Here is the link to the PowerPoint presentations from the forum: http://www.statenislandusa.com/lymeforumslides.

​On Thursday, June 14th, Borough President Oddo joined with members of the NYPD, District Attorney Mike McMahon, and the DOE to congratulate the 5th and 7th grade students who participated in the "Too Good For Drugs" program at PS 21 and St. Adalbert's School.

The “Too Good For Drugs” curriculum is co-taught in the classroom by a police officer and a teacher. The program, which is in its fourth year, takes place in 5th, 7th and 9th grade classes in public and parochial schools across the borough.
 
"The amazing officers have taught us to be a good influence on others," said PS 21 students thanking the NYPD officers for teaching the ‘Too Good For Drugs’ Curriculum. “Thank you and stay safe.”
 
Laura Timoney, BP Oddo's Deputy Director of Education, address the students speaking on why the 'Too Good For Drug" Program is important: “You all know you do better on a test when you study. That’s what this program exist for: to prepare you for the time when you’re faced with a tough decision of following along with your friends or choosing to say no."

At the end of the ceremony, students took a pledge to abstain from tobacco, alcohol and drugs, led by NYPD Chief Kenneth Corey.

Borough President James Oddo is pleased to announce the encouraging results of a Borough Hall-led pilot program that adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the positive impact of exercise on academic achievement.

Borough President Oddo was inspired to pursue physical education reform after reading Dr. John Ratey’s bestselling book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain which presented a critical mass of scientific evidence demonstrating the connection between exercise and brain development. In Spark, Dr. Ratey provided scores of case studies and academic findings that support his conclusion that aerobic exercise is “Miracle-Gro for the brain.”

The opening chapter of Spark details how the Naperville, Illinois school district significantly improved academic performance by transforming physical education classes. After seeing the documented benefits of a shift from sports-based skill development to a focus on cardiovascular fitness in physical education curricula, Borough President Oddo was determined to bring this innovative reform to the students of District 31 on Staten Island. As a first step, our office partnered with Principal Deirdre DeAngelis to pilot a Spark-inspired physical education program at New Dorp High School.

A randomly selected group of nearly one hundred ninth grade students began their early morning physical education class with seven minutes—building to 15 by the end of the school year—of intense aerobic exercise. Borough Hall’s graduate data fellowship program monitored the de-identified academic performance of the students in the pilot class and compared their grades in each marking period to those of their ninth grade peers.

At the end of the school year, Borough Hall’s Public Policy Team reviewed the results. Despite curriculum restrictions which limited aerobic activity to, at most, the first 15 minutes of each physical education class, the pilot found promising indications that students in the Spark pilot were gaining ground, as compared to their peers in the control group.

“Given the potential impact of Spark on the academic performance of public school students—not to mention the ancillary benefits on health, behavior, and personal development—a rigorous evaluation is the logical next step necessary to realize transformative physical education reform,” said Borough President Oddo. “A shift to aerobic exercise, if done right, could contribute to leveling the playing field for all students in New York City schools.”

The results of the study can be viewed here.

Based on the findings from the Borough Hall-led pilot, the Borough President is calling on the de Blasio administration to partner with Borough Hall to launch a large-scale pilot across public schools on Staten Island with full fidelity to the cardiovascular fitness model.

“I applaud Staten Island for applying the science of exercise to bolster student achievement, with measurable, positive results. This is only with 12 minutes of intense exercise three times a week.  It is wonderful to see the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of Borough President Oddo taking it to the next level and wanting to push it even further.  Imagine the possibilities,” said John J. Ratey, MD, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

“(Borough) President Oddo’s study on the potential benefits of vigorous exercise in schools is a fitting exclamation point to National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. The pilot program at New Dorp High School on Staten Island is further evidence that we have only scratched the surface in realizing the power of exercise. To that end, at the direction of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is participating in the development of a national strategy to increase youth sports participation and regular physical activity. I thank the Borough President for his leadership on this important issue—and for doing the hard work on the ground to publish these important findings,” said Anthony C. Ferreri, DBA Regional Director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Region II.

“Starting my day observing our ninth grade students engaged in rigorous aerobic activity is exciting, but it is the improvement in the academic data of these students that really makes me a believer in the SPARK experience. So thankful that our school staff and students are always ready to try something new, especially something that can make a difference,” said Deirdre A. DeAngelis, Principal, New Dorp High School.

“In an effort to educate the ninth grade students of the Institute of Health Science, on the importance of physical activity, we have begun to implement the SPARK program to supplement our current physical education curriculum. We have seen an increase in interest from our students in the areas that the SPARK program emphasizes (beating stress and anxiety, improving body and mind, and sharpening thinking skills). The evidence has been undeniable. By implementing this program, we have seen that aerobic physical activity in the morning stimulates the brain and increases maximum academic performance throughout the school day,” said Richard Rucireto, Assistant Principal of Health & Physical Education and Supervisor of the Institute of Health Sciences, New Dorp High School.

​Borough President James S. Oddo is pleased to announce his initiatives regarding his work to improve school nutrition and wellness.
 
“Policies matter. Leadership matters. Outcomes can change. Problems can be resolved. Science, data, empathy, creativity – all play a role. Our team at Borough Hall leaves no stone unturned when it comes to finding ways to better the lives of Staten Islanders, and food policy and the role of nutrition and education in schools is no exception,” said Borough President Oddo. “Thank you to the Staten Island Child Wellness Initiative for your fight working to overcome childhood obesity on Staten Island, and thank you to our community partners for working with us on these vital initiatives to improve the lives of Staten Island students.”
 
Below is list of school nutrition and wellness initiative partnerships Borough President Oddo is working on that were announced at today’s 4th Annual Staten Island School Garden Summit:
 
Our office has partnered with the Department of Education’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) for a Staten Island Fresh Fruit and Vegetable of the Month Island-wide Pilot. This pilot, which will be run on Staten Island in Prek-8 Lunch Menus at participating schools, will feature a highlighted fruit or vegetable of the month from September 2019 – June 2020. Additionally, student advocates will be chosen by their school principal to represent the fruit or vegetable of the month item during their lunch period. They will circulate a card featuring a plant-based recipe including the highlighted fruit or vegetable of the month. Peer to peer has proven to be one of the best ways to deliver the nutritional education message. We are working to expand this pilot program.
 
Our office has partnered with United Activities Unlimited (UAU) to create a solution to the lack of maintenance for school gardens over the summer months. Our offices are working together to enable the Summer Youth Employment Program children to maintain the gardens while the schools are out of session. We have also facilitated communication between Brian Licata of UAU and the Snug Harbor farmers to involve their expertise in order to keep these produce gardens alive over the summer.
 
Our office has partnered with City Harvest and Staten Island Performing Provider System (SI PPS) to work together to expand Cooking Matters at School, a 6-week hands-on cooking and nutrition program integrated into the school day curriculum. City Harvest and SI PPS have come together to fund a nutritionist and are working directly with our office to bring this course back to the classrooms with a plant-based twist on it.
 
While speaking on the Borough Presidents on NYC Food Policy panel that took place in April at Hunter College, Borough President Oddo was introduced to the company Beetbox. Beetbox fills teaching gaps in Early Education by using food as a vehicle to teach STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and eliminates the need for teachers to prepare and plan. Teachers receive monthly learning kits which include detailed lesson plans, required materials, and fresh ingredients. Every Beetbox includes science experiments, planting, cooking, art and engineering projects, literacy, dramatic play, decomposition studies, and songs. Our office is working to fund Beetboxes for a number of schools in the 2019-2020 school-year.
 
Garden to Café is a DOE program that connects school and community gardens with school lunch meals through seasonal harvest events and educational activities. Currently the program is active in 200 schools within NYC, about 12 of which are on Staten Island. However, procurement of fresh fruits and vegetables is most difficult within this program. Our office is working with OFNS and Snug Harbor Cultural Center to see if it is possible to buy local by using Snug’s produce in the Garden to Café program and ease the burden of procurement.